The St. Louis Cardinals have a complicated offseason ahead, led by an underrated free agent class. The Cards will look to make plenty of additions, this much is for certain, especially to their pitching staff. Cardinals starters ranked near the bottom of MLB in ERA this past season, and they traded away Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty -- both of whom could be candidates to return.
Before the Cardinals opt to bring in a new face, they must first decide what to do with their own free agents. That list includes at least five players, none of which is an incredibly easy choice.
Adam Wainwright will not be back with the St. Louis Cardinals
We'll start with the obvious -- Adam Wainwright has pitched his last game with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was able to win 200 games, all with the same franchise, which is a tremendous achievement he should be proud of. That being said, this amicable divorce comes at the right time for John Mozeliak and Co.
The worst-case scenario would've been an uncomfortable conversation with Wainwright, now over 40, after this season. Waino was not the same version of himself Cardinals fans have grown accustomed to on the mound in 2023. Towards the end of the season especially, he looked borderline unplayable. Had he not been close to a career milestone, or had the Cardinals been in contention, Oli Marmol would've faced his toughest call yet as manager.
Instead, Wainwright was able to end his career on the high, which is certainly a moment neither he nor Cardinals fans will ever forget. While Yadier Molina may return to St. Louis as a coach, Wainwright will sail off into the sunset for now.
Drew VerHagen should be back with the Cardinals next season
If St. Louis is smart they will keep Drew VerHagen around, as he was one of the only bullpen pieces who regularly succeeded in 2023. VerHagen had a sub-4 ERA in one of the more unpredictable bullpens in baseball. Because he is a free agent, the Cards will have to pay up. Spotrac estimates his value at just under $3 million, and Josh Jacobs of Redbird Rants believes there's a chance he leaves for greener pastures:
"In 60 games for St. Louis, VerHagen was 5-1 with a 3.98 ERA, providing them with an arm that could be called upon throughout the year, giving them a mix of high-leverage innings when needed, and filling out those middle innings otherwise...I see a world where VerHagen is back with the Cardinals next year on a new deal, but in all likelihood, another team will likely swoop him up this offseason. He has really good stuff, so a team like the Dodgers, Rays, or another tech-savvy team will want to get their hands on him on a cheap deal," Jacobs wrote.
VerHagen is a capable middle-inning relief pitcher at his best. On a contending team that invests in pitching, he should be someone the Cardinals can rely on. Mozeliak has stated improving the pitching staff is a goal of his this offseason. Keeping VerHagen around would be a step in the right direction.
Taylor Motter could use a fresh start
Taylor Motter hit under .200 last season in St. Louis and didn't receive much of an opportunity. Motter has never posted an OPS above .600 in his MLB career, and at this point he has bounced around plenty. Odds are that trend will continue, albeit somewhere new. As I wrote a few weeks back, Motter's return always seemed unlikely given his production:
"Motter was a sub-.200 hitter this season and failed to provide much besides infield depth. At 34 years old, Motter will be cheap this offseason as he's a free agent. If St. Louis wants more depth in its minor-league system, then perhaps they can offer that option to Motter plus a spring-training invite. Anything more is unlikely."
The smart money is on Motter signing elsewhere, perhaps as a spring training pickup meant to test a team's infield depth. Hopefully a fresh start does him some good, but he's wasting his time with the Cardinals.
Yadier Molina could return to Cardinals as a coach
I'm breaking the rules here slightly, but the Cardinals don't have extensive list of player free agents. With that in mind, shouldn't Yadi fit the bill? Molina last played for St. Louis, and is technically available to any team to join their coaching staff.
Molina has been linked to the Cardinals bench for the last few weeks now. He seems intrigued by the opportunity, and if there was one thing missing in St. Louis this season, it was Molina's leadership. Bringing him back into the fold -- if he's interested -- can only be a good thing for Mozeliak and Co.
Molina appeared very open to the opportunity in a recent radio spot on WKAQ580 in Puerto Rico:
"There is something cooking. I have had various offers in the United States last year with Miami and St. Louis. This year I have offers too. I think there is something cooking with St. Louis. There is a 90 percent chance that it happens," Molina said. "St. Louis has given me the opportunity. It is my second home. There is always a good relationship and communication with them."
That 90 percent chance suggests to me that a return has been an open invitation for quite some time. Hopefully for Cards fans, it happens sooner rather than later.
Tres Barrera doesn't have a spot on Cardinals MLB roster
Tres Barrera is a veteran catcher who is talented enough to at least provide backup duties for a non-contending team. However, he will not find that playing time with the Cards, who already feature Willson Contreras and Andrew Knizer at the position. With Molina potentially coming onto the coaching staff, expect the Cards to prioritize Contreras's defensive ability at the position, rather than having a third catcher on the roster to test him.
Barrera doesn't provide much with his bat at this stage of his career. He accepted an outright demotion to Memphis earlier this season, seeming to suggest he was open to work pretty much anywhere. Barrera had moderate success with the Washington Nationals earlier in his career. Considering he'd be fighting for reps with prospect Ivan Herrera at Triple-A...it's not a great outlook for his potential playing time.
